Dan Holt recently launched the site Explainamations.tv, where he showcases great explainer videos and companies. He has started doing interviews for his site and I was lucky enough to be his first one. In the interview I talk about our creative team and process at LooseKeys and some of the challenges we face. Head over to the site and give the interview a read and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask away.
I’ve been handed two jobs this year from clients who weren’t happy with what they were given or how the previous animation team had handled the job. I deal a little differently with these clients then others because I know they’ve already been through the process of creating a video and they weren’t happy with the result. Communication is critical, maybe even more so then with other clients. When I take over the projects, I make sure to have a very open communication with the clients in order to determine how to effectively execute what the client wanted and the previous creative team wasn’t doing. First I ask them why the other team failed so not to fall into the same trap with them. Then we go into what was needed or what needed to be adjusted and why they felt these changes needed to happen. By simply asking them why, you will make clients think about the comments and changes they are asking for even if the answer is as simple as they didn’t like the way it looked.
If the client is asking you to make changes that you feel are out of place or dumb, think about it for a moment before responding. Remember that they aren’t the enemy and the two of you are there to make a great project. Ask them why they want to make these changes and explain why you did what you did. When you explain your choices, you make the client see that you thought about what you did and you didn’t just make the logo pink because you like pink.
At the end of the day, I’m here to make something they are happy with and get paid. I’d like to be proud of the work as well but I want them to be happy that they chose to work with me and I delivered the video they wanted but the previous animation team couldn’t quite deliver.
I get asked fairly often about the LooseKeys name and where is came from. Hopefully this solves the mystery for anyone that hasn’t figured it out yet.
We are never more creative or curious then we were when we were kids. Children seem to have this boundless curiosity that makes them want to explore everything. Which at times can be exhausting, but it’s that curiosity that makes most kids have this abundance of creativity. The number one question they ask is “Why?” And soon “why” becomes “how?” This is the way I try to approach every project I’m evolved in. Asking myself, “how am I going to achieve this and how am I going to make it different from the last thing I worked on?” Or “how will this be different then the other guys project?” Without this curiosity, I know what I’m producing won’t be as creative as it could be. You have to be curious to identify problems that need to be solved in order for you to come up with new solutions. Next time ask yourself, “what would happen if I tried this…” and you might be surprised at the solutions you come up with.
Finding work is always one of the biggest challenges with freelancing but what if you needed to hire someone else to help you with a larger project? In this video Brad Chmielewski and Erik Jensen talk about where they turn to when looking to hire someone. The way Brad and Erik go about finding talent to help with work is most likely very similar to how most businesses look for talent when they need a freelancer or even a new full-time hire. So don’t just think these ideas are only used by the small one or two people teams. Hopefully getting the insight of where Brad and Erik find talent will help you on your quest to find more freelance work.
Is the allure of freelance pulling you in? Have you ever wanted to take on a little freelance work while you had a fulltime job? In this video Brad Chmielewski and Erik Jensen talk about the best time to start freelancing while you have a fulltime job. How you should approach your boss and to make sure not to take on more work then you can handle. Doing a little moonlighting is a great way to get a taste of the freelance life without having to give up the safety of the fulltime job. You just have to make sure you don’t step on any toes or cross any lines while doing it.
It’s always great to talk with others to find out how they handle their business. That’s why these videos are here, to give you an idea of how other freelancers handle their business. However, everyone works and plays by their own rules, so you can always take or leave this advice. You need to figure out what works best for you and your clients. In this video Brad Chmielewski and Erik Jensen talk about the best ways to send cold emails to new clients and studios. The days of making cold calls for new work are long gone and email is an easy way to start building a relationship without coming off as a bother
In this video Brad Chmielewski and Brad Stark share how holds work when your are freelancing onsite at studios and the best way to deal with having multiple holds. Holds are primarily used when you are freelancing on site because you can’t be in two places at one time. It’s there to help you manage your schedule because as a freelancer you want to stay busy and avoid those slow slumps.
Sometimes your business is rocking it and you have a lot of work coming in. And sometimes you have too much work for you to handle, you hate to turn the work down or disappoint a client. Especially since next month or even next week it could slow down. In this video Brad Chmielewski and Erik Jensen give you insight into how they handle overflow work in ways that allow them to still look like a hero to the client. It’s always great to talk with others to find out how they handle their business. That’s what these videos are here for. To give you an idea of how other freelancers handle their business but everyone works and plays by their own rules. You need to figure out what works best for you and your clients.
In this video Brad Chmielewski and Nick Hopkins share their thoughts on when you should make the jump from full-time to freelance. Everyone is different and finding that right time can be tricky. But don’t expect the freelance life to be any easier then your current full-time roll. As Brad and Nick point out, you’ll often find yourself busier then you were before you went freelance. There is always something to be learned from a different viewpoint or from another experienced freelance warrior. But every freelancer works and plays by their own rules. These videos are here to give you an idea of how we handle our business but you need to figure out what works best for you and your clients.
The Future Belongs To The Curious
Every freelancer seems to work and play by their own rules. But it’s always great to talk with others and find out how they handle their business. There is always something to be learned from a different viewpoint or from another experienced freelance warrior. This is the first in what I hope will be a series of videos answering all those questions that freelancers are asking. Brad Chmielewski and Erik Jensen share their thoughts on when you should adjust your rate.
Matthew Carlin has been doing a series of motion graphic interviews entitled “In The Frame” on his site Motion Design Love. For his latest interview he asks me a few questions. So head over to his site and check out the full interview.
